Give love into the world, and it shows you love in return.

How we randomly ended up with floor seats at a Harry Styles concert in Chicago

Give love into the world, and it shows you love in return.

Last summer I was doing the awkward one-foot balancing act trying to put the other shoe back on and grabbing my things from the airport security line conveyer belt when I felt my phone buzzing somewhere. When I found it, I saw “Tina Muir” on the caller ID. She knew I was traveling on my way to a 10-mile swim race in Vermont. Why would she call me? I answered a bit frazzled. Her voice was rushed, “Want a bib to run the New York City Marathon?” she asked. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance because the lottery to get into this marathon is incredibly hard. I hesitated for a few seconds. Running 26.2 miles sounded harder than this swim I was about to do. “Seek discomfort,” I said to myself. “Yes,” I answered Tina. Four months later I crossed the finish.

This weekend was the Chicago Marathon and I was in town producing a community running event when I got another call from Tina. I’d been slammed all day with production and logistics so had my phone on silent. But coincidentally (or not), I’d gone on a bathroom break and checked my phone, which was ringing. “Wanna go to a Harry Styles concert tomorrow night?” she asked very quickly. “It’s really good seats. My friend is part of his crew and said I could have two tickets!”

The background story.

For background, Tina and I are both on our journeys of saying “yes” to spontaneous things. Whether it’s going paragliding with an Uber driver or joining drum circles at the beach. We’ve found the more we practice being open with others, talking with strangers, and being open to new experiences, the more these experiences and people find us. We regularly call each other with updates on our most recent random and spontaneous adventures or interesting conversations we have with strangers.

Our relationship is special because weren’t friends at first, she was actually my boss! In 2020 and a friend from my run club shared an Instagram story of a former elite runner, podcast host, and author, Tina Muir, who was hiring for a marketing position. Instead of filling out the application, I recorded a video and sent it to her. She hired me.

We spent about a year working together, growing the team and the community. We quickly learned we didn’t have quite the traditional boss-employee relationship. Our “meetings” turned into deep conversations about life. We philosophized about personal growth and how we can be better humans and help create a more united world. We both bonded over being misfits in a world where work is a means to an end. We both wanted more. We wanted to foster meaningful relationships and make a living doing something that goes beyond us. Something that has a positive ripple effect on others.

From Tina, I learned the importance of confidence, recognizing your self-worth, and doing the right thing even when it might be hard to do. She taught me to surround myself with people who bring me joy and encourage my growth. That it’s okay to diverge from popular opinions and traditional paths, so you can be yourself. She was one of the first to encourage me to even start my own business.

Tina welcomed me into the world of running as a possible career, she’s taught me the importance of meaningful friendships, and how we can take action toward building a better world. She encouraged me to share my knowledge in her newsletter where I wrote a weekly column. She invited me to guest co-host her podcast.

Tina says from her perspective, my free-spirited personality of saying yes to spontaneous things has rubbed off on her. I was a reminder to her that often times the best moments in life where growth happens, are outside our comfort zone.

Suddenly I am hearing all these stories of her talking with strangers and saying yes to things she normally would have said no to. Even if it’s talking to the person in line at the cafe, or sitting at the beach talking with a stranger for hours.

We’ve mutually seen each other’s growth increase exponentially over the past year. We elevate each other and constantly encourage each other. We’ve come to realize the more kindness, humanity, laughter, and joy we put out into the world, the more the universe puts people on our path who exhibit this same energy.

How we ended up in the front row of a Harry Styles concert

We were both in Chicago for separate running-related work events and Tina just so happened to have a connection with someone who was on Harry Styles’s crew who invited her to the concert (they met through Tina’s running blog. years ago). Tina called me immediately to ask if I’d join her.

“How does this stuff happen to you?!” My friends ask. “That never happens to me,” they say.

It’s not about waiting for things to happen to us. Life doesn’t happen to us, WE happen to live. We have to rewire our perspective and other ways of living and thinking. Surround ourselves with people who share this spirit (or watch Yes Theory videos… they’re partly what inspired me to think and live this way).

We have to practice this, every. day. It’s not necessary to go on big trips to feel the spirit of adventure and feel more fulfilled as a human. We can create an environment of curiosity and exploration right at home.

Intentionally talking to people in line at the grocery store. Buying a stranger a coffee. Asking an Uber driver to go paragliding with you. Show kindness to others. Soon it becomes part of our identity. (You might end up traveling to Paris with a stranger like me).

You’re suddenly a person who talks with strangers and lives spontaneous experiences. To the bystander, it may appear like things just happen to you, but you know deep inside that it’s a habit, a practice, a mindset, a philosophy, a way of life.

The effect is not immediate. We can’t be seeking out rewards and having expectations. Ego is not part of the picture. This is about genuinely and intentionally connecting with others on a human level. The energy we put out manifests and the universe helps route it back to us in some shape or form.

Lessons from Harry Styles

Tina and I had had a long day. To stay awake until the concert I had to drink two coffees at 8 pm and eat a pizza. When we met up on the train we both laughed with tired eyes. Exhausted but exhilarated at the tale of our spontaneous concert tickets.

At the end of the night, Harry closed off the show by giving a shoutout to Tina’s friend for not only running the Chicago Marathon that day, but for coming to work right after. [He imitated a runner’s post-marathon limp]

Then he signed off with, “Give love into the world.” That stuck with me.

It’s why this blog is called “It’s your world.” We must remember it’s our choice to put love and kindness into the world. The more of it we radiate, the more we’ll witness love and kindness from others. Only then will. we begin to see this world as a much brighter place.

Thanks for reading! Maria is a native Colombian, runner, cyclist, swimmer, writer, and traveler. She is the founder of Brand Spark Co. which provides brand and marketing advisory and event production. She loves going on adventures with strangers that ignite the human spirit. Read more below.